We just picked up a "mini play cube" which seems to be pretty good at 11 1/2 months. It is a series of twisted rubeber colored metal with beads on it that can be moved around. We have a "Corn Popper" car by Fisher Price that is a big hit. The kids can use it as an aid in developing walking skills and can ride on it as they get bigger. We also recently bought a Parking Garage by Alex. This toy looks to be for kids 2-3, but we had a gift certificate to a store that we needed to burn. I have read that the toy is one that kids tend to enjoy quite a bit. rrh